You, whom she had known from an infant, whom she had seen grow up from a period when her notice was an honour, to have you now, in thoughtless spirits, and the pride of the moment, laugh at her, humble her [...] and before others, many of whom (certainly some,) would be entirely guided by your treatment of her.

What used to be described as a thoughtless act of aggression was now regarded as the courage one would expect to find in a party member; to think of the future and wait was merely another way of saying one was a coward; any idea of moderation was just an attempt to disguise one's unmanly character; ability to understand a question from all sides meant that one was totally unfitted for action.

Sophocles himself has given utterance to two diametrically opposite opinions: — [Greek: Pollo to phronein eudaimonias proton uparchei.] 25 he says in one place — wisdom is the greatest part of happiness; and again, in another passage, he declares that the life of the thoughtless is the most pleasant of all — [Greek: En ta phronein gar maeden aedistos bios.] 26